43. The Natal Naturopath

Revenue: $879,000
Founder: Melanie Nolan
Head office: Eltham North, VIC
Year founded: 2019
Employees: 3
Industry: Healthcare
Website: thenatalnaturopath.com.au

How The Natal Naturopath started

The Natal Naturopath women’s clinic was established in 2019 to help bridge an ever-expanding gap in women’s healthcare. The clinic’s focus on improving the postpartum phase for mothers originated from founder Melanie Nolan’s experiences and observations of mums being overlooked in their healthcare after giving birth.

Following the birth of her twin daughters, Nolan realised there was a very real need for comprehensive prenatal products that were highly effective and sustainable. Thus, the clinic expanded its services to cover a broader spectrum of women’s health.

Growth

While there was plenty of desire for The Natal Naturopath’s products and services, one of the major hurdles to growth was the financial risk in manufacturing supplements in Australia. But with total belief in her business, Nolan invested around $150,000 for the initial order – a significant portion of her savings – while being a single mother.

Testing the market before committing huge financial resources became a valuable lesson. Managing the family and developing the supplement range during Melbourne’s strict lockdowns was a daunting task, Nolan says, requiring extensive multitasking and resilience as a working mother of three.

Where to next

The Natal Naturopath has big plans to expand its product range and explore more sustainable ingredients, such as algae oil for DHA supplements. Nolan intends for her brand to become the first Australian supplement company to adopt a zero-plastic approach.

She is also preparing to conduct clinical trials for IronBiotic, capitalising on the phenomenal feedback received so far. These trials will focus on the benefits of probiotic strains in iron absorption and digestive health. The potential to reduce iron-supplement intake to every second day could greatly enhance women’s wellbeing by addressing iron deficiency more effectively.